5.a.Hungarian citizenship

Before going into details, you should take into consideration two general principles:

1. Hungarian citizenship law is based on the principles of jus sanguinis ("right of blood" in Latin), meaning that a person acquires Hungarian citizenship by birth from a parent who is a Hungarian citizen.

2. As citizenship laws  don't have retroactive effect (except in some very special cases), one always have to refer to the law which was in force at the date of his/her birth.

3. Dual citizenship is permitted under Hungarian Law

According the present regulation in force - Act LV of 1993 - Hungarian citizenship can originate under two principles: the most significant one being the principle of origin : the child of every Hungarian citizen becomes a Hungarian citizen by birth (whether the mother or the father is a [or both are] Hungarian citizen [s]).

Prior to this date, rules for acquisition and loss of Hungarian citizenship may have been different. As Short and by no means exhaustive resume concerning Hungarian citizenship, before applying, please consider the following:

• Between October 1st , 1957– October 1st,1993:

if one of the parents was a Hungarian citizen at the moment of birth, the child became Hungarian citizen.

• Before October 1st , 1957:

Ø      a child became a Hungarian citizen only if his legitimate father was a Hungarian citizen. The child of a Hungarian mother and a non-Hungarian father didn’t become Hungarian citizen by birth.

Ø     If  the child was born out of wedlock (extramarital birth) and the mother had Hungarian citizenship, he/she became Hungarian citizen. But if later on the child was recognized by a non-Hungarian father, he/she could have loosen his citizenship.

Ø     The non-Hungarian wife of a Hungarian citizen husband became automatically Hungarian citizen after the marriage.

Ø   If a Hungarian citizen wife acquired by marriage the citizenship of her non-Hungarian husband, then she automatically lost her Hungarian citizenship

Ø     Those, who left Hungary before September 1^st, 1929 could loose their citizenship by living continuously abroad for a period exceeding 10 years. This 10 period began after the expiry date in the last Hungarian passport of that person. Therefore in this case, a Hungarian official document (e.g. a passport, a declaration made in a Hungarian Consulate, etc...) must be produced which would prove that the person kept his/her citizenship.

Ø   Effects of the Trianon treaty: in general those living outside of the present Hungarian borders lost their Hungarian citizenship and became citizens of the country which received the given territory (with some minor exceptions) after 1921.

 Ø   From those who left Hungary before February 1^st, 1949, a Hungarian document (any Hungarian identity document, school certificate, work certificate, diploma, etc...) proving that they lived in Hungary after September 1^st, 1929 - especially for those who left in the 1930s, early 1940s - could be required.

Ø      In some cases, the Acts of 1879 and 1939 entitled the Hungarian State to deprive Hungarians from their citizenship.

(for further details in Hungarian, please go: here)

As you may see, the assessment of the citizenship of a given person might be very complicated task, due to the historical changes of borders and citizenships in Central Europe during the 20th century. Therefore it is exclusively done by experts of the Nationality Verification Division of the Office of Immigration and Nationality in Budapest.

The assessment is made by completing the form "Állampolgárság igazolása iránti kérelem" in Hungarian.

• To the form you have to attach original birth and marriage (and if the case, divorce) certificates tracing back to the person who you think had Hungarian citizenship (e.g.: if you think your grandfather might have possessed Hungarian citizenship, then you need to attach his birth certificate, his parents’ marriage certificate, his marriage certificate, his son’s or daughter’s (your father’s of mother’s) birth certificate, your parents marriage certificate and your birth certificate and your marriage certificate - if you were married multiple times, you must send in all your marriage certificates and divorce court decisions.)
  Please note, that if you don't want to send the original document, you can order certified copies at the vital records office where the event was registered.
   

• If any of the document was not issued by a Hungarian authority, it must be translated into Hungarian.

When in possession of these documents you have to go in person or send them to the diplomatic or consular representation whose area of responsibility includes the State you live in (see the consular districts of Hungarian missions in the U.S) and pay the process fee (call before sending the documents).

If you send in the documents, you have to certify a.) your signature on the application form and b.) your identity before a public notary using this form and this data sheet if the public notary is not on this list, or by one of the Hungarian Honorary Consuls.

Fees

1. For the examination of citizenship, obtaining at the end a Citizenship Certificate, when presenting the documents in person:
    

   Consular fee:	56 USD
   Certificate fee:	10 USD
   Attestation of the signature of a private person	47 USD
   Attestation of translation (per certificate)	24 USD
   Total: (calculated when certifying 1 translation)	137 USD

   
   
    

2. For the examination of citizenship, obtaining at the end a Citizenship Certificate., when sending in the documents by mail:
    

   Consular fee:	56 USD
   Certificate fee:	10 USD
   Attestation of an official's signature and stamp indicated on a document:	32 USD
   Attestation of translation (per certificate)	24 USD
   Postal fee:	15 USD
   Total: (calculated when certifying 1 translation)	137 USD